Fair Water Rates for BC’s Freshwater

After significant public pressure, BC’s past government committed to reviewing water rates for bottled water companies by February 2017, but we have yet to see any action on this promise. We now have an opportunity for BC's new government to finish a job the previous government did not. This government committed to reviewing the Water Sustainability Act to ensure that high volume water users are paying for access fairly.

BC’s current water pricing structure has greatly undervalued the importance of our fresh waters within our province. As a result, commercial userslike Nestlé pay a mere $2.25 for a million liters of water.

Funding is required to effectively implement the Water Sustainability Act’s most promising features. In addition to data collection and management, there is a need to increase the capacity for education and outreach, compliance, enforcement, management, as well as supporting local governance, including resources to support First Nations’ roles in management and decision-making of their waters. Sufficient water pricing is essential to support full-cost recovery which is critical to the success of a water management regime.

Together we can ensure that BC’s newly elected government knows that we care about and value our shared waters in BC. Let’s keep water a highly valued priority in BC.

We the undersigned, call upon the Province of British Columbia to complete the review of water license fees and rentals and charge a fair price for groundwater, supporting a watershed sustainability fund.

Support CFA

The Canadian Freshwater Alliance (CFA) assists Canada’s diverse non-profit water community to secure healthy, thriving waters from coast to coast to coast. Founded on the notion that people and the environment have the right to healthy waters, the Alliance is working to unite, train and mobilize diverse water stewards big and small, near and far.